Apparatus for heating rooms



July 23, 1935.

W. L. MACK APPARATUS FOR HEATING ROOMS Filed Aug. 26, 1930 2. Sheets-Sheet l l l l INVENTOR.

ZU'a Her 5C. 7714416 A TTORNEY5.

July 23, 1935. w, MACK 2,008,963

APPARATUS FOR HEATING ROOMS Filed Aug. 26, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ZJaZzerOCZ. 7714070 A TTORN Y5.

such rooms at the proper predetermined temand means heretofore Patented July 23, 1935 PATENT OFFICE.

2,008,963 APPARATUS FOR HEATING ROOMS Walter L. Mack, Toledo, Ohio, assignor, by mesne assignments, to Aeriet Air Conditioner Company, a corporation of Illinois Application August 26, 1930, Serial No. 477,830

1 Claim.

This invention relates to an improved method and apparatus for heating rooms and the like, and, more specifically, to annethod and means which may be employed to ma tain the air in perature with a greater degree of accuracy and an appreciable reduction in cost over any methods employed.

As is well known to all persons living in climates where a heating of the air in rooms and like spaces is necessary during at least a portion of the year, certain intervals occur, usually in the spring and fall, when the slight change in temperature of the atmosphere during at least a portion of the day is such that for proper comfort the air in the rooms occupied by humans should be heated, but such superficial heating of the rooms has been omitted due to the ex- Dense and time required to bring the main heating plant for the dwelling or like structure into operation to eifect such heating. Further, in a number of instances it isnecessary to heat only a portion of the structure served by the main heating plant, so that it is inadvisable to put the whole plant in operation for the puropse of heating only a single room or even afew rooms.

A further disadvantage incidental to the employment of a single main heating unit for a plurality of rooms is that not all of such rooms need be kept at the same temperature and in a number of instances it is even desirable to maintain different rooms at different temperatures to adapt the same for the particular conditions of their use. The variation in the temperatures of the several rooms can be accomplished only by a careful manipulation of the heat dissipating means in each of such rooms, which is usually so complicated or bothersome that no attempt is made to produce the desired ideal temperature conditions in such several rooms. It is among the objects of my invention to provide a method of and apparatus for heating rooms so that all of the above named desirable conditions may be attained.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, said invention, then, consists of the means hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claim, the annexed drawings and the following description setting forth in detail certain means and one method of carrying out the invention, such disclosed means and method illustrating, however, but one of various ways in which the principle of the invention may be used.

In said annexed drawings:

Fig. 1 is a. front elevational view of the apparatus comprising my invention; Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the apparatus illustrated in Fig.

1; and Fig. 3'is a transversev sectional view of the apparatus illustrated in Fig. 1 taken on a 5 plane substantially vertical intermediately of the sides of the apparatus.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, the apparatus comprising my invention consists of a casing I which is substantially rectangular 10 in form and which is adapted to be placed on the fioor or like supporting means, preferably against the wall of the room to be heated. The casing I has an aperture 2 adjacent the lower end and extending substantially throughout the entire 15 width of one side to receive the air which is to be cooled or heated by the apparatus comprising my invention. It will be understood that a suitable screen or shield may be placed across such opening so as to shield the operating parts 20 of the apparatus contained within the casing and, further, to prevent the ingress of foreign objects with the air passing into the casing. Positioned within the casing, preferably on the bottom thereof so asto be rigidly supported by the means supporting such casing, is a motor 3 or other prime mover which has secured to the rotating shafts thereof fan members such as 4, the effect of which is to draw into such casing a stream of air through the opening 2 and project the same upwardly through such casing and out through a discharge aperture 5 formed on one side of the upper end of such casing. Suitable leads, such as 6, for electrical energy for driving the-prime mover 3 may be provided, which leads may, along with other similar leads for other. parts of the apparatus, be contained in a suitable conduit, such as 1, leading to a switch or the like at a remote point for controlling the apparatus.

Supported in the casing l by bracket means such as 8 is a heating exchange element 9 which consists of fluid chambers l0 and H which'are, respectively, in communication with apertures such as l2 and I3 adapted to receive conduits for 4 the fluid to be circulated in and through the heat exchange element. The chambers Ill and H,

i. e., the walls of such chambers, may be provided with laterally projecting fins, such as H, which will materially increase the radiating surface of such heat exchange element, the width of such fins being substantially equal to, but slightly less in width than the distance between the opposite walls of the casing l.

Likewise supported within the casing i and ,1

with shield plates such as plates are preferably spaced away from the inner such as I5, is an element for dissipating electrical energy in the form of heat which may consist of a plurality of resistance units such as It, such units being suitablysupported in spaced relation from a-block II. The walls of the casing opposite the electrical heater elements l6 may be provided l8 and I9, which shield surfaces of the walls of such casing so that the heat of the electrical unit will not excessively heat the outer walls of such casing. Likewise, a bailie plate such as 20 may be arranged across the lower portion of the ai ately above the electrical heating unit so as to properly deflect the stream of air passing upwardly through the casing to insure a maximum of heat transfer from the electrical heating -ele-- ment to such air and, further, to shield such heating element from damage due to means which may be projected into the opening '5. In series with the lead 2|, which is one of the leads for supplying electrical energy to the ,heating' element, is a switch 22 provided with a fusible link which'will prevent excessive current from flowing through the electrical heating unit.

In the block IT, or otherwise positioned directly in the line of flow of the air discharged from the casing 5, may be a thermo sensitive control for the current delivered to the electrical heating element for the purposes hereinafter more fully explained.

It will be noted from the description of the apparatus comprising my invention when such apparatus is employed in a room and suitably connected to the proper sources of fluid and electrical supply, that when a cool day occurs any one of the rooms may be independent heated by means of the electrical heating element disposed in the path of the air stream discharged through the aperture of the casing I by means of the fans 4 in the bottom of such casing, and such room quickly heated without bringing into operation the main heating plant for the entire building, which would furnish steam or like heating fluid to the heat exchange element 9. A further advantage which may be enjoyed from the employment of the apparatus comprising my invention is that during seasons of the year when the room temperature is above that which is desired,

a suitable cooling fluid may be circulated through such as to delay the-heat the heat exchange element 9 so that by passing thereover a stream of air which is generated by the fans 4 and projected into the room through the apertures 5, the room may be properly cooled. Further, the heat exchange element 9 may be employed as an expansion chamber for suitable refrigerants and such element cooled to such an extent so that the air stream caused to flow thereover will be chilled before being projected into the room.

The above described apparatus is particularly applicable to furnish emergency heat quickly when the time required to bring the main heating plant up to operating conditions would be obtained therefrom in the several rooms for a period longer than the heating of such room could be delayed. Even by simply operating the fan to cause a stream of air to be projected through the opening 5 without bringing into operation any of the heat exchange elements contained within the casing, the apparatus may be used to advantage in causing a circuiation of the air in the room which is desirable drawn from the lower strata adjacent the discharge aperture 5 immedi heating apparatus. As is well known,

2,008,963 above the heat exchange element 9, on brackets in anumber of instances.

It will be noted that in of apparatus above described 2 is placed on the side of the the cool air is floor and heated and discharged through the aperture 5. If desired, the ingress aperture 2 may be formed on the opposite side of the casing l and connected to a conduit extending through the wall of the room and in communication with the outer atmosphere, should this particular form of installation be desired. v

' A further advantage incidental to the employment of the above described apparatus, specifically in the combination of the electrical. heating the particular form the ingress aperture casing adjacent the room so that 1 element and theheat exchange element 9, resides in the accurate control which may be had over the temperature of the air discharged from the when the heat exchange element 9 is connected to aboiler or like unit in the heating system, the temperature of such heat exchangeunit will vary accordingly as the rate of fuel combustion in such boiler varies. This variation in the temperature of the heat exchange unit 9 will be reflected ina corresponding variation in the temperature of the air discharged through the aperture 5 unless some means is provided to augment the heating eifect of such heat exchange unit. As above indicated. by providing a thermo sensitive control for the electrical energy supplied to the electrical energy dissipating unit, the operation of such electrical unit can be made dependent upon the temperature of the stream of air after it leaves the heat exchange element 9. In this manner the electrical unit can be employed to stabilize the room temperature to an extent never obtainable when the heat exchange element 9 is employed alone.

It is believed that a further description-of the method and apparatus comprising my invention is unnecessary for those familiar with the art, sufllce it to say that numerous advantages result from the operation of the above described apparatus which are so well known that a reiteration thereof is unnecessary, and, further, that the,

invention may be employed instead of the one explained, change being made as regards the means and the steps hereindisclosed, provided those stated by the following claim or its equivalent be employed. 7

I therefore particularly point out and distinct ly claim as my invention:-

In a heat transfer device, an upright casing, relatively shallow from front to rear, having an intake opening at its lower end, a discharge opening at its upper end, in a vertical plane, and means extending forwardly from its rear wall for deflecting the discharge through said discharge opening in a horizontal direction, a blower in the lower region of the casing, discharging upwardly, a steam or hot water radiator above the blower, through which the blower discharge passes, an electrical heating element above the said radiator, adapted to temper said blower discharge after it has left the radiator, and a thermosensitive control unit arranged in the path of heated air in said casing, adapted to vary only the electrical energy used by said electrical heating element so as to stabilize the combined heating effects of said units.

WALTER L. MACK. 

